1. Truth is not the absence of propaganda; propaganda thrives in presenting different kinds of truth, including half truths, incomplete truths, limited truths, out of context truths. Modern propaganda is most effective when it presents information as accurately as possible. The Big Lie or Tall Tale is the most ineffective propaganda.

2. Propaganda is not so much designed to change opinions so much as reinforce existing opinions, prejudices, attitudes. The most successful propaganda will lead people to action or inaction through reinforcement of what people already believe to be true.

3. Education is not necessarily the best protection against propaganda. Intellectuals and "the educated" are the most vulnerable to propaganda campaigns because they (1) tend to absorb the most information (including secondhand information, hearsay, rumors, and unverifiable information); (2) are compelled to have an opinion on matters of the day and thus expose themselves more to others' opinions and propaganda campaigns; and (3) consider themselves above the influence of propaganda, thereby making themselves more susceptible to propaganda.

4. What makes the study of propaganda so problematic is that it is generally regarded as the study of the darker side of our nature; the study of their evil versus our good. Those whom we consider evil thrive in propaganda, while we spread only the truth. The best way to study propaganda is to separate one's ethical judgments from the phenomenon itself. Propaganda thrives and exists, for ethical and unethical purposes.

5. Propaganda seeks to modify public opinion, particularly to make people conform to the point of view of the propagandist. In this respect, any propaganda is a form of manipulation, to adapt an individual to a particular activity.

6. Modern forms of communication, including mass media, are instruments of propaganda. Without the monopoly concentration of mass media, there can be no modern propaganda. For propaganda to thrive, the media must remain concentrated, news agencies and services must be limited, the press must be under central command, and radio, film, and television monopolies must pervade.

7. One must become aware of propaganda, its limitations, its strengths, its influence, and its persuasive qualities, if one is to master it. To say that one is free of the influence of propaganda is a sure sign of its pervasive existence in society.

8. Modern propaganda began in the United States in the early 20th Century. During World War I, the mass media were integrated with public relations and advertising methods to advocate and maintain support for war. The Creel Committee established the first American publicity campaign to spread and disseminate the gospel of the American way to all corners of the globe.

9. In the United States, private commercial propaganda is as important to notions of democracy as governmental propaganda. Commercial appeals to the people through advertising, which plays on irrational fantasies and impulses, are some of the most pervasive forms of propaganda in existence today.

10. Propaganda in a democracy establishes truth in the sense that it creates "true believers" who are as ideologically committed to the democratic progress as others are ideologically committed to its control. The perpetuation of democratic ideals and beliefs in the face of concentrated power in propaganda institutions (media, political institutions) is a triumph of propaganda in modern American society.

VERY WELL SAID. PROPAGANDA, HOW MANY OF US FALL TO THE MIGHTY LIE THAT IS CONTINUALLY PUSHED UPON US? YOU HAVE TO GET TO A POINT THAT YOU REFUSE TO LISTEN AND LOOK AT THE GARBAGE THAT IS DISPLAYED ON OUR TV AND RADIO'S. WE BECOME SO LAZY THAT WE TAKE EVERYTHING THAT WE HEAR AT FACE VALUE AND THEN REPEAT WHAT WE HEAR/SEE AND COMMUNICATE IT TO OTHERS. IS THAT RIGHT FOR THOSE OF US WHO DON'T BELIEVE IN THE LIES? I AM EVEN GUILTY OF THAT. MAYBE IT IS TO FEEL OUT OTHERS AND SEE WHAT THEIR VIEWS ARE? PROBABLY NOT, IT IS THAT WE ARE SO ACCUSTOMED TO THE LIES AND WE REPEAT THEM. WE ALL MUST TAKE A STAND AND IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU HEAR/SEE DON'T REPEAT IT! WILL BE LESS POPULAR IF YOU REALLY EXPRESS YOUR VIEWS? ABSOLUTELY! YOU WILL ALSO NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS, OTHERS MAY THINK YOU ARE RADICAL....IF SO WHO CARES? ARE WE THAT CONCERNED WITH WHAT OTHERS THINK? THE ANSWER IS PROBABLY YES.

Ok, ABC, CBS, CNBC, CNN, C-SPAN, FOX, MSNBC & NBC have all done their duty to honor the Bush Administrations request to show/report ONLY what they want us to see and know. Abu Ghraib was too big a scandal to keep hidden so they went back on there pack with the Administration and showed all the scandlous photos (all to the FCCs liking).

However, the reporters on all the networks talk about Al-Jazeera and the other Middle-Eastern news organizaitions 'propogandizing" the war. This country is doing the same thing but somehow they think their brand of journalism is fair and accurate and anything coming out of the Middle-East is skewed. Many times the networks will show a video of Osama Bin Laden or of the latest beheading and say that they got it off a "Islamic website" or "Islamic media outlet" BUT they will not give us the web address so we can see it. Instead they tease us with the images from these sites to make the people "over there" look bad.

I would love to see one of the tv programs or websites that are referred to but never an web address given from some of those countries to see how they view our coverage of them. If anyone has a weblink please provide it. I'm never gonna get it from the USA Media. They only want us to see what THEY WANT US TO SEE!

_________________"The People Who Vote Have No Power. The People Who Count The Vote Have All The Power"

The only way to avoid this malignant brainwashing-propaganda is as such:

1) If an information source is pushing strictly partisan “Republican” or “Democrat” politics, dump it immediately. They’re obviously leading you in the wrong direction.

2) If an information source is promoting heavy doses of fear-mongering over empowerment, dump it immediately. They’ll eventually paralyze you into submission.

3) If an information source denies the existence of an unseen ruling hierarchy beyond that portrayed by our corporate-controlled establishment media, dump it immediately because their intent is to stifle rather than enlighten you.